The Omnipotent Tale Of Google Ads And Facebook Ads

?“If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses” – Henry Ford

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?? Once upon a time, somewhere back in 2012, I knew a guy who decided on a whim that he would try and build a video game design studio.

Back in those days, Facebook had just dawned as a harmonious force to be reckoned with. He had a Facebook Page, and in those days, organic growth was conceivable without the need for paid strategies and incentives.

God, do I miss the days of simplicity.

Remember when organic reach was actually a legitimate business strategy? We will touch bases on that shortly, but first, let me finish the story. After two years, he had amassed roughly 1,000 new Likes on his company’s Facebook Page.

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As a young entrepreneur, this was a man who had everything to gain and unquestionably nothing to lose. So, he invested in something far more powerful than money: people. One thing I learned from him was simply, you can invest in a business all you want, and you may win, or you may lose.

But, if you invest in people, you always win.

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This led to a long-standing relationship with an equity shareholder named Aaron, who put $25.00 into a Facebook Ad campaign on the entrepreneur’s behalf. The video game studio failed miserably.

Unfortunately, it was due to rookie moves (such as not beta testing the game, so the characters would actually shoot themselves and the main character’s head loaded upside down...in retrospect, it was comical in its own odd way).

However, despite this, within a week the Facebook Page had amassed 1,000 new “Likes.” Roughly fourteen years later, I still check up on them.

Though they have not posted a darned thing on Facebook since the daunting failure, their Likes are still increasing; their Follower rate is still increasing…to be honest, what happened here was beyond realistic.

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Why Did I Begin With This Story?

???? This story has a point, I promise: a $25.00 investment caused a snowball effect that allowed for the company to achieve organic growth, even in the complete absence of activity. This will be discussed in this article later on, but first...

I will start by saying this much: Facebook/Meta Ads and Google Ads (formerly Google AdWords) are not what they once were, and to this day, there are over two billion searches for the key phrase:

“Facebook Ads Versus Google Ads,” and you can fact check that yourself.

Yet if you actually take the time to read half of the slobbery articles on this discussion, you will find a division of the minds: half say Google Ads is best because it has a higher targeting capacity.

Others will argue that Facebook/Meta Ads (for sake of argument, I will simply call them Facebook Ads) dominate because they are cheaper, as after all, Facebook has 2.8 billion active users, which must mean something, right?

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There Is No Winner, But…

???? The outcome depends on developing the proper strategy, what industry you are in, and what your product or service is.

However, because I would prefer avoiding making this yet another of the aforementioned two billion “Facebook Ads Versus Google Ads” articles already out there (half of them, mind you, are ironically promoted through PPC, which is paradoxical in due respect), I will stick to the topic at-hand.

This is simply, is Facebook the new norm for modern day advertising, and what industries will make the most impact on this platform versus other SERP or social channels? I invite you to first take a moment to answer the following question:

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“What is my goal with PPC advertising?”

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Seriously, think about it. You see, this is the reason why 62% of Facebook Ads campaigns fail. People forget to plan, and abide by this illusion that social media advertising is easier. With Google Ads, it was almost in an “Oregon Trail-like” fashion as keywords became more competitive and social media monetized.

Picture 3 million businesses as of 2021 walking through a desolate cornfield in search of cheaper CPCs. But, It seems as if many are treating social media advertising as a “simpler” or “better” way to advertise than SERP PPC.

This is the wrong mindset, and it is a matter of perspective: we seem to think that because Facebook Ads look and feel simpler to set up than a Google Ads campaign, they are therefore to be treated as such.

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Facebook Does NOT Cost Less!

They simply appear to. This is because somewhere between 2018 and 2019, Google Ads had a bit of a hiccup.

You see, as Facebook was upping their game by integrating a more uniform policy where community was more important than, say, promotional ads, Google was doing what it does best, and this is not a bash on Google.

Okay, it kind of is.

It is merely a fact: the rate of algorithmic changes amplified, and because Google thought they were onto something clever, average position disappeared by February. By July, broad match keywords were suddenly taboo, despite the platform still recommending them. By September, AI became involved.

And then, as COVID took hold, 46% of small businesses closed.

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The funny part is, CPC on Google, as of the time of COVID-19, actually rose!

What the heck?!

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Top that off with record-high CPC rates on Google Ads, algorithms changing an average of 600 times per year (doing the math, that is 2.5 changes a day!), it is no wonder why most of the remaining companies that existed migrated to greener pastures and set up camp in the ever-daunting Facebook Ads Manager.

Thus, this flood of new businesses advertising on Facebook caused the average CPC to jump – so much so that if you were to ask Google about the “average CPC” of either Google or Facebook in any given year, you will find no solace or consistency. This is probably because it fluctuates daily based on ad spend.

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How To Win At Facebook Ads

???? We can talk about that, sure, but first, let us discuss why most businesses fail at Facebook Ads. First and foremost, the most common reason is simple, and it is out of our control: Facebook users are looking to browse a news feed.

They want to look at stories of their neighbor’s cats, or which of the 1000+ lawsuits against former President Donald Trump are currently being monitored on YouTube, and so on. They are most definitely not there to be marketed to.

Though I have no formal statistic on this, it is a commonality. Think back to the last time you actually clicked on a Facebook ad. To be frank, maybe it is just because I have been in Digital Marketing for over 17 years, but I cannot recall a single instance where I actually clicked a Facebook Ad.

Thus, you need to think strategically about how and what to promote.

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So, first step: overcome the illusion that Facebook Ads are simpler or easier or require less strategy. They are simply different.

Your goal with Facebook Ads is to sound authentic. Remember, Facebook places those ads in a number of places, and notably, if on the newsfeed, it should look and feel like an authentic Facebook post. If it looks like an ad, smells like an ad, and is an ad, then no one will click on it. Second, you need to make sure you are prepared to spend a decent enough amount of time to plan your strategy.

Yes, Facebook has less steps, a simpler congenial structure (compared to Google’s complicated Account/Campaign/Ad Group/Ad structure), and best of all (we like to believe, anyway) no real need for keywords…

...but this does not mean it should be treated any differently than that of a Google Ads campaign. Remember, strategy is key to success.

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What You Should Be Doing

Promote content, information, education, and entertainment…

....then form a sales funnel.

A lot of businesses assume that because Facebook Ads appear less complex. This may be somewhat true, yes. They do not ask for keywords but rather, interests. You click a list, click a few buttons, and boom, you have an ad.

Do not fall for the illusion that just because it appears simpler does not mean it is.

Don't Trust Automation

Mind you, just two weeks ago I opted for Facebook Ads Manager to optimize my audience for me, and I ended up spending $88 on 1,666 clicks. I thought that was amazing. A CPC of roughly $0.05 raised my spirits.

My mistake was trusting automation. Facebook has been promoting "Advantage Audiences" in recent years, and I decided, because as you all know me well enough by now, I have come to accept that AI has potential, that I'd try it.

The literal promise Facebook made was as untrue as Google saying broad match keywords boost your changes of being seen. This is a trick meant to rob advertisers.

Then, I checked Google Analytics. My average session duration was 3 seconds. I was astounded. Yeah, my website kind of sucks, but 3 seconds made no sense.

Turns out this "Advantage Audience" marketed 1,666 clicks to Mexico. Thus, the reason why my session duration was only 3 seconds was because my darned audience spoke Spanish, and that is what I am trying to get at here.

The Illusion Of Our Best Interests

This article was not really meant to have a point. If you've been following me on The Content Marketer's Diary since it first launched in 2022, you know all too well that I do not write tips, or ways to improve your company.

I write for me, and if you choose to read it, that is great.

So, I guess the point here is simple: we trust our advertising dollars to AI algorithms that, at the end of the day, are out for blood. They want your money, but that does not mean you cannot succeed.

Whether you go with Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and so on, just remember to plan and to take the proper time to target your audience and do not trust them.

Not saying: "Don't use them," mind you. Just simply, if Google Ads is saying broad match keywords will "expose you to more people," and if Facebook's Advantage Audience is dumb enough to think Mexico was the prime choice for my English-spoken ad, then we need to be wary about this.

I will leave you here with one final thought...

The more connected we become, the more disconnected we behave, and we need to do our best to navigate through the death of organic growth with practicality.

If you want help setting up social or SERP ads, visit www.circle5book.com.

For the first 5 people to fill out my Contact Form with the code: "ADSPEND1" will get a free 10-hour audit of their paid advertising strategies.

Until next time, and remember to Like, Comment, and Share.

Thanks, and God bless.

www.circle5book.com for writing, marketing, and digital consulting.

www.valiancecoach.com for personal, business, or career advice.

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